Voting, Voting, Voting, (to be sung to the tune from Rawhide)

Well, just as I expected when we got our whoop de doo internet connection and I started posting 2 or 3 posts at a time to catch up, it happened. I ran out of posts just as I started to get really busy and no time to write any others. But today, after at least 10 days of feeling like a dog chasing my tail I decided that I was going to spend at least some part of the day doing things I thought were important, not what needed to be done.

So today after the hot water heater guy left, I was able to plant all the little plants that were hanging around. And I took a bath with all the actually hot water that I wanted and now I have at least 1 whole hour to write posts. NO GRASS CUTTING TODAY!!!

Back to our theme… Voting.

Several weeks ago we received in the mail our absentee ballots so that we could vote in the May primary in North Carolina.

Even though my friend, BK, sends me many clippings from North Carolina papers Ben and I had to do some online research to decide who to vote for. We finally made our decisions and got the ballot in the mail so that it would be received before this past Tuesday.

One Wednesday in April, at our local market, our neighbor Rita stopped me and told me that I would need to vote for her son, Alessio, in the upcoming election. In the last election 2 years ago, he ran for city council but did not win. This time he was running with a coalition party of ‘greens’ and others, with a different woman running for Mayor.

My vote has heavily solicited. I received mail for each of the three groups running.

This was Alessio’s handout. (I don’t think it is a very good picture of him. Too serious. He is a very friendly guy) It showed how I should cast my vote for him. On the ballot were symbols for each party with a line beside the symbol. I was to make an X through the symbol and write in his last name. His handout reminded me of the sample ballots given out in southern churches in the US.

The election was held on this past Sunday and Monday. I presented myself at the local primary school with my voting papers and ID. A stamp is made on the voting paper to indicated that I voted. I received the paper ballot and a pencil. Went behind the screen, pulled out my ‘voting guide’ from Alessio and did as instructed. Folded the ballot up and came out and dropped it in the cardboard box.

On Wednesday, while at the market, we ran into Rita, the exceeding proud Momma. In Italian, “Did you see what Alessio did? He won!” To everyone. The results were posted across from Town Hall by the Post Office.

Monte San Savino has about 8500 people (including children) Of those 4,380 voted. And Alessio’s party, the third on the right, won by 64 votes. (It’s a party thing, individuals don’t win a seat, the whole party wins seats for the individuals)

Alessio himself received 68 votes, (3rd column from the right) So his handout must have done the trick.

While we watch the news on the BBC and see about elections being held in many places, I am proud that this week I voted in elections on two continents. And my vote counted in both places. So bring on November! And we’ll do it again!